Continuity: Assistant coach Thomas is new Granville girls hoops boss
GRANVILLE ― Consistency has been a big part of what has fueled a stellar four-year run for Granville's girls basketball program, and the Blue Aces saw no reason to disrupt that stability.
After Tate Moore departed following 99 wins, four consecutive district titles and a 52-0 record at home, Kellon Thomas, an assistant for the past three seasons, has been named the new head coach.
"Coach Thomas was selected from a strong field of candidates through a rigorous process, which included input from current players and parents as well as administrative staff and teachers," athletic director Josh DeVoll said. "Throughout the process, it was evident that sustainability and consistency was an important theme that emerged to help continue the strong tradition that exists within the program."
Thomas played for Kent State from 2012-16 and in 2016-17 at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. He then played for three years professionally in Germany and has a bachelor's degree in sports management and business administration, along with a masters in sports journalism.
He has worked as an individual skills trainer for five years and has coached for two years with coach J.R. Shumate's Ohio Future program. Shumate recently returned as Newark head girls basketball coach.
"I was a skills trainer in Columbus, and started working out into the Newark area," Thomas said. "I started training Granville athletes, and that's where I met coach Moore. I've learned a lot on the girls basketball side from him, and he did a phenomenal job building up this program to another level. He got the girls to buy in, to the team aspect and team environment. It is a tight group."
He's also learned from Shumate.
"Yes, he's known for his intensity and is demanding, but he also builds relationships with these girls," Thomas said. "That's a very important part of it."
Under Moore, Granville was known for its pressure defense, and he plans to continue that approach.
"I love to play fast, and let your defense control the pace of the game," Thomas said. "We want to be organized with what we do, and either slow it down or speed it up with our defense."
He doesn't plan on skipping a beat, even though the Blue Aces graduated three key senior starters, including All-Ohio post Harper Annarino, sharpshooter Aliyah Moore and defensive standout Taylor Warehime.
They do return two starters in Elle Mortimer, who showed great promise as a freshman post, and junior Katie Cottrell. Sophomore Delaney Varrasso was a spark off the bench and junior Megan Lodge played significant minutes in the regional semifinal loss to Bryan.
"We're going to create a culture early and let everyone know what the expectations are," Thomas said. "Yes, we would like to take that next step and get to the state, and we're going to continue to manage, develop and progress."
The program's success has sparked a ton of interest at the younger levels, which should provide a pipeline toward future success.
"We had a good freshman group who will contribute, and our eighth graders made it to the LCL finals and could help us," Thomas said. "Our middle school has some really good classes coming up. It's exciting."
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Continuity: Assistant coach Thomas is new Granville girls hoops boss
